How I Made a Simple Advent Candle Block
Ever since we started observing Advent, I’ve tried making our own candle arrangement. A couple of years ago, a large oak fell in our local park. I sawed a limb off it, drilled some holes, and put candles in it. The simplicity felt like it fit the spirit of Advent.
But the old bark, fire, and smoky candles are just not a fit for a sealed up house. So last year, I tried something different, while keeping things simple and using supplies we had. I think it turned out well.
Supplies
- 2×4
- 3/4″ copper pipe caps
- Hot glue
- LED candles (traditionally purple & pink for Anglican or Catholic traditions; blue for Scandinavian Lutheran traditions), but we used white because that’s what we had
- Bottle brush tree (totally optional, not traditional – an add-on that we did, because we had it as a random Christmas decoration)
What To Do
- Cut & sand the wood block
- Polish the copper end caps
- Measure & glue end caps to the block
- Stick candles in
Super basic, but I love it. The LED candles are so much better than real candles in every way from safety to consistency to pollution. The candles we own don’t quite fit the end caps, so two of the wiggle. I go back and forth on drilling the end caps into the block. I also think about getting a nicer block of wood instead of #2 yellow pine. But again – it was ridiculously basic – and used what we had. Either way, the LED candles are available at most any retailer. The bottle brush tree is available at any major retailer.
